Ever in the Rain
by breezypixy
Summary: "Best friends forever." "and ever."  So goes the ritual of Sirius and Marlene's friendship.  But with hormones, drama, lots of magic, and the rising threat of Voldemort, in their last year of Hogwarts, forever may not be that long.
1. PitterPatter PitPat

**Chapter 1 (Pitter-patter. Pit-pat.)**

_Pitter-patter. Pit-pat. Pitter-patter. Pit-pat._

_ Like music, the rain taps on my window. The rain: my natural love. Its calming melody drowns out my troubles. Troubles… like the sounds of my parents fighting, again; like the eerie voice of our special vistor, the Dark Lord, in the room below me; like the laughter of my younger, twin brothers jinxing my Hogwarts things. Hold on – my brothers jinxing my Hogwarts things? Crap!_

I rose from my spot on the window seat in my bedroom, dropping my notebook. "Joey! Nate! If you think that I can't hear you, you're dead wrong! Not to mention just plain dead when I get my hands on you!" I screamed down the hall. I heard them galumphing down the stairs as they attempted to make a getaway. No such luck, kiddos. Focusing on the bottom of the flight of stairs, I whispered an incantation to bar the exit into the "grand foyer," as my parents like to call it (I just call it the entrance room). I laughed as I heard identical oomphs. Ah, the joys of being seventeen. Standing, at the top of the stairway, I smirked down at the mischief-makers. Both lay on their backs, ebony hair flung haphazardly across their foreheads, and dumbstruck looks on their faces. "Gotcha!" I yelled triumphantly.

"Marlene! What's going on up there?" Uh oh. The voice belonged to my mother, the bane of my existence. Okay, not quite, but she has made my life miserable since I was just a toddler all because I refuse to follow her insane "pureblood traditions." Ha! Traditions, my dirty school socks! I've met plenty of purebloods who don't go around torturing muggleborns and joining dark orders. The clip-clap of her heels against the wood floor grew nearer. I ran down the stairs, removed my spell, and pulled my brothers up by their collars as quickly as I could. I was straightening their button-up shirts as she came into view. "Marlene! What have I told you about making a racket when we have guests?" she demanded in her "you-better-know-or-you-will-be-grounded-for-life" voice. I really have to think of a better name for that: it's much too long.

"Not to." I hung my head for emphasis, hoping that for once she would let me off easy.

"That's right. And what were you doing?"

"_I _was in my room. It was Joey and Nate! They were jinxing my Hogwarts stuff!"

"Don't lie, Marlene! And I thought I told you that 'stuff' is not an acceptable word to use!"

"I'm not lying, Mother! I swear!"

"Very well. Since you're not telling me the truth, you're grounded for the rest of summer holidays and…" I held my breath. "All of winter holidays too! Now go to your room this minute, Marlene!"

"Mother!"

"Go."

She was so unfair! It was my brothers' fault, but no. I got blamed for everything and those little nuisances got off without even a spanking. All because they smile big and do whatever they're told to, and I don't. What else am I supposed to do when my heart is screaming at the injustice of her prejudices? Be a good little girl and smile as I watch tears well up in innocent eyes? I may be one of the biggest goody-two-shoes you'll ever meet, but I can't do that. I just wanted to scream at the unfairness of it all. I flopped onto my bed and banged my fists against my pillow.

"Marley. Marley! I can hear you, Marley."

I raised my head from my pillow, wiping away tears that I hadn't realized had formed there. The little handheld mirror on my vanity was flashing red. I raced across the room, and picked the mirror, pressing a hidden button. "Sirius! Keep it down! I already got yelled at once for making too much noise," I whispered as the face of my best friend appeared in the glass. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to check up on my favorite girl," he whispered back.

I laughed. "Sirius, don't call me your girl. I'm not one of your little playthings."

"True, true," he chuckled. "But you are my best friend, and I had a feeling that things weren't going so well with you."

"You had 'a feeling'? I wouldn't be surprised if the whole neighborhood had 'a feeling.' My mother shrieks so loud."

Ignoring my jest, he replied, "What happened this time?"

"I heard Joey and Nate jinxing my Hogwarts stuff, so I yelled at them and made a barrier at the bottom of the steps to corner them. They of course made a ton of noise when they collided with it, and so Mother Dearest came to spit at me. Now I'm grounded for the rest of summer holidays _and_ winter holidays," I sighed.

"That's not so bad. Before I… moved out-" He was still touchy about the night he ran away from his parents and went to live at James Potter's house. "I was grounded for practically the rest of my life." He forced a laugh, and I knew he was remembering that night. All he had told me was that it had been another fight about his refusal to become a Death Eater. I knew that it had to bigger than just that, because he wouldn't leave his brother, ReguIus, alone with their parents otherwise. I had pressed him for more information once or twice, but he never divulged more, and it was hard to see the pain in his eyes, so I hadn't asked since then.

For Siri's sake, I laughed along. "I guess it's not _that_ bad, but it means that I can't see you."

"Your parents would never let you see me anyways. I'm 'a disgrace to the world of superior wizards.' My mother's words, of course."

"True. I guess I'm just going to have to live without you for the holidays. It'll be sooo hard." I made sure to cover my voice with sarcasm.

"Hey, now! You know you couldn't live without me for that long." I forced myself to look away from his puppy eyes because I knew that they'd ruin my carefully created illusion.

"Of course I could. Your ego is simply too big for you to accept it," I teased.

"Marls," he pleaded.

I giggled and gave in. "I'm just messing with you. This is still going to be hell." My face fell along with my pitch and my mood.

"Padfoot!" I heard in the background.

"Sorry, Marls. I have to go wreck some havoc. Best friends forever?"

"And ever," I finished our old ritual. I let out a self-depreciating chuckle. Who was I kidding? Sirius and I were slowly growing apart as his relationship with the rest of the 'Marauders' kept on growing tighter. We barely talked except when one of us was down. We weren't the same Siri and Marley as we were in our youth. We used to stay up 'til the sun rose, just talking together. We'd have campfires and sleepovers every weekend when we were still young. Sirius would have his adventures, which he always invited me on, and I always refused, and then he'd recount them to me in the most marvelous way. Now days, we'd talk for maybe an hour, and we never hung out at school. We still joked with each other easily, and I missed him like crazy when we didn't see each other for extended periods of time, but it just wasn't the same since he became friends with the Marauders.


	2. Marley, Welcome to Hell!

Chapter 2 (Marley, Welcome to Hell!)

"Marlene! Are you ready yet?" Ugh. I could hear the impatience in my mother's demanding voice, and knew that I would have to face my life soon.

Tonight was the last night before I left for Hogwarts for the final time, and in honor of that, my parents had decided to throw a party of sorts. Everyone would be walking around and mingling in formal attire; the ladies looking like Christmas tree ornaments in their colorful gowns, and the men like penguins in their tuxes and dress robes. There'd be all kinds of refreshments from caviar to rolled-up pieces of ham with spinach, from champagne to flavored water. And worst of all, dancing. It's not that I disliked dancing – in fact, it was one of my greatest pleasures, but my parents always made me waltz around with some pricks or dandies that they considered to be "acceptable gentlemen." I hated it, to say the least. They might as well have hung a sign above the door that said "Marley, Welcome to Hell!"

"Marlene!" My mother's voice cut into my thoughts.

"Coming, Mother!" I called down to her.

I examined my reflection once more. The deep blue of my dress exactly matched my eyes - I was the only one of my siblings to inherit my father's eyes; the rest sported my mum's mocha brown. I had chosen a simple dress; well the simplest Mother would allow me to wear. It was strapless, much to my despair; fairly tight-fitting until it reached my hips; and then the fabric softly flowed to the floor. I had allowed my wavy, raven-colored hair to flow freely down my back with only a glittering pin on one side to restrain it. My eyelids were dusted with a sparkling powder that reminded me of raindrops, and I wore a little mascara and blush, choosing to keep my lips their natural light rose color. Turning away from the mirror, I was reminded of my silver heels by nearly tripping over the hem of my dress. Kill me now, kill me now.

I descended into the grand foyer where the rest of my family waited not-so-patiently. My father smiled at me and discreetly sent me the thumbs-up sign. I grinned back. Being the only girl of his four children, I was "Daddy's Little Princess" and thoroughly enjoyed it. My relationship with my father was great, unlike with my mother. The twins snickered at my get-up from behind their palms, but they couldn't say much as they looked slightly funny (Who am I kidding? They looked down-right ridiculous!) in their rich-boy dress robes. My mother, despite looking gorgeous in her chocolate brown dress that hugged all of her curves, had a distinctly irritated expression that ruined the whole illusion of a happy family. I don't know how my father had put up with her for twenty-three years.

"It's about time, Miss Marlene May McKinnon. You're late for your own party," my dear-old-mum spit at me. I spared a glance at the grandfather clock in the corner. The party didn't start for another fifteen minutes, but as the hostess, Mum considered that terribly late.

Rolling my eyes, I followed her into the elaborately decorated ballroom. Streamers hung all around, the stage for the orchestra that was still setting up was lit with fairies that were captured in tiny little clear tubes and hung on strings, and the many tables spread throughout the room were elegantly, but simply covered with white table clothes, and a single candle in the middle of each glowed charmingly. If I hadn't been used to it, I would have gasped at the beauty of the room.

As we crossed the threshold, I was surprised to see an arm held out for me. I turned to find out who the mysterious stranger was only to find that he wasn't a stranger at all. My twenty-one year-old brother, Kirk, stood there, grinning down at me, his eyes sparkling with silent laughter. I hadn't seen him since winter holidays, so, needless to say, I was elated. "What are you doing here?" I whispered with excitement.

"Can't a brother just want to see his little sis?" he joked, pretending to be hurt by my question.

"Of course. But I thought you were in India to learn about traditional medicines?"

"I got home yesterday, and-"

I cut him off. "You got home yesterday and you didn't let me know?"

"I wanted to surprise you," he replied sheepishly.

"I guess I'll let you off the hook, but only because this is such a wonderful surprise." Kirk and I were very close, and I had been pretty bummed that he wouldn't be at the station to see me off like he had ever since he graduated from Hogwarts three years ago. Matching his wide grin, I laid my hand on his arm, and he escorted me to the door where we would greet the guests.


	3. Smile and Wave

Chapter 3 (Smile and Wave)

Somebody save me, please! I was only an hour into the party, and already I wished fervently to escape. My mind drifted as my feet mindlessly moved through the steps of the waltz. The guy that was spinning me around the floor during this dance was exceedingly dull. He rambled on about some rare something-or-other found in some remote location that I really didn't give a darn about, and I was sure that no one else would either. I found myself recollecting a night much like this three years ago.

_I was moving in a daze, waltzing with some guy that I never met again and would never care to, when, suddenly, someone tapped my partner on the shoulder. Not really caring who it was, I gracefully slipped into the intruder's arms. When the dance allowed me to finally get a look at my new partner, I had to suppress a laugh. Grinning goofily down at me was my best friend, his grey eyes sparkling with mischief. "How would you like to blow this joint?" he murmured in my ear._

_I nodded my head enthusiastically, and he led me out the back door, dancing all the way. Once we were out of hearing range, I broke out in a fit of giggles which Sirius immediately joined in on. Catching my breath, I gasped out my thanks. Sirius didn't reply, but instead grabbed my hand and drug me off to the nearby muggle town where we spent most of the night laughing and eating ice cream._

How I wished that Sirius would swoop in and save me tonight, but there was no chance; he wasn't invited and probably didn't even know what was going on. You're probably wondering how in the world my best friend wasn't invited. Well, the thing is: though this was supposed to be _my_ party, my _parents_ made up the guest list, and my mother strongly disapproved of Sirius ever since he was disowned. I believe her words were: "I always knew that boy was bad news. I only tolerated him because my little Marlene needed a playmate and seemed to like him." What a phony! Only the week before, I overheard her discussing a possible marriage arrangement between our families with my father. Of course, she only considered that because the Blacks are even richer than us.

I was brought back to reality as the song ended. My partner bowed, and I followed with the customary curtsy and an unladylike sigh.

Hoping to avoid my parents' attempts at matchmaking for a little while longer, I ambled over to the punch bowl on the far side of the ballroom. I grabbed one of the crystal goblets and carefully filled it with the sparkling, berry-colored drink. Drink in hand, I slipped out the French doors and into our garden.

I had just seated myself on a bench, when a deep voice floated to my ears. "What's a pretty girl like you doing out here all alone?"

My headed snapped up quickly, causing me to almost spill my drink. Warm hazel eyes laughed down at me from their perch behind a pair of glasses. "What happened to your infatuation with Lily Evans?" I joked. We both knew that he had been jesting, and had eyes only for the red-headed beauty.

"Seriously, why aren't you inside? It is your party, isn't?" he replied.

I didn't know James Potter very well, but he was a nice enough guy from my experience, not to mention that he was Sirius' friend, so I decided to explain my woes to him. "_My _party? More like my mother's way of ensuring that everyone still knows and respects her, and my father's chance to introduce me to 'acceptable gentlemen.' It's just so dull. Hey, how'd you end up here anyway?"

He grimaced, but not in an I-absolutely-hate-this way, more like an I-kind-of-would-rather-not-be-here-but-I'll-tolerate-it way. "My mother insists that we go to all the parties we're invited to. She says it's just good manners. Oh well. Occasionally, I have fun." He winked mischievously at me. Uh oh! He's planned a prank. I guess I'd better watch my back, or maybe my front, a little closer.

I rolled my eyes, as he dramatically joined me on the bench. "You're going to prank my party? Even without your comrades in crime? Gasp!" I brought my hands to cover my mouth as if I was outraged.

His grin widened, and the sparkle in his eyes glittered like the stars that were beginning to emerge in the darkening sky. "Whoever said that I was alone?" I could have sworn that I glimpsed the form of a shaggy dog just beyond the evergreen bushes that lined the pathway. I blinked twice and the shape was gone. Wow! I must be really suffering from the mixture of boring-beyond-all-belief dudes and Sirius-withdrawal!

James chuckled, noticing my momentary space-out. "Come on, let's go back inside." He held out his hand for mine.

I lightly took his proffered hand. "Let's," I breathed, and he led me back onto the dance floor.

As we danced, we talked a little more about our families and Hogwarts. Just before the song ended, he whispered in my ear, "Be under the chandelier when the clock strikes eleven." After parting from him, I glanced at the clock. It was only 8:40. I had two hours and twenty minutes to suffer through before whatever that boy was planning took place.

Break

It was nearly eleven. I had spent the night mingling among crowds to hide from my parents, and dancing with extraordinarily dull or annoying pureblooded prats. Now I was slowly making my way toward the crystal chandelier that hung in the middle of the ballroom. Dong. Dong. Dong. Dong. Dong. Dong. Dong. Dong. Dong. Dong. The grandfather clock called out the hour. I was positioned squarely beneath the mammoth crystals of the elaborate light fixture. Dong. The final chime rang out… and sparkling red and gold confetti fell from the ceiling to cover all the party-goers. "Good Luck, Marley!" was spelled out above my head in multicolored fireworks. The best part? The lights all pointed toward the door, which burst open to reveal a smirking Sirius Black. "Having fun yet, Marls?" he yelled. I was shocked, elated, and slightly worried, all at the same time. It was all that I could manage to not double over in laughter. He jog-skipped toward me, his black mop of hair swaying back and forth with his motion, and engulfed me in a bear-hug, spinning me around.

"Siri… can't breathe well, Siri," I gasped. Laughing heartily, he placed me back on solid ground.

"Couldn't very well miss my best friend's party now, could I?" he murmured to me. "Smile and wave, honey. Smile and wave." And he wondered why his mates joked about him being gay. But I followed his lead anyway, though my cheeks were most definitely tinted a deep pink. He raised his voice to call out, "Newest decorations courtesy of the Maruaders!" The guests broke out in applause, and I noticed three male figures wave at me from the doorway. I smiled wider and waved to let them know that I appreciated their surprise.

"Now, how does a dance with the most dashing young man in England sound?" Music began playing, and he suavely bowed. I shook my head indulgently before curtsying and placing myself in his arms.

"I see you've deflated your ego a bit."

"How do you figure that?"

"Well, you only said 'the most dashing young man in England' instead of the whole world as usual."

He let loose a hearty laugh and spun me around before replying, "You know it's true though."

"Sure, sure," I sarcastically countered.

I caught my father's eye, and though his countenance was stern, his blue orbs twinkled with mirth. Then I turned my gaze onto my mother. Oops! It felt like the temperature had dropped fifty degrees before Sirius turned me away from her. Judging by her glare, I was in deep doo-doo.

Siri must have read my mind or something, because he whispered. "Just blame it all on me. She already hates me."

"It's not that easy. She won't listen."

"I know," he sighed. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"No. That would just make matters worse, unfortunately."

"Okay, then." I felt his eyes follow me as I trod toward my parents at the conclusion of the song.

Dad already had his hand on Mum's shoulder, and was speaking to her gently. "It was only a dance and some sparkles. There's nothing wrong with that. She didn't even seem to know about it, and she was so happy to see him. Don't you want her to be happy?" He spotted me. "Now, Maria, don't make a scene please, darling."

"Hey," I spoke up shyly. Oh boy! Was I nervous!

"That was unacceptable, Marlene." She took a deep breath as if to hold in her rage. "We will talk about this later. Now go."

I didn't need to be told twice. Shooting a grateful glance at my father, I sped off to my waiting Sirius. Hold on. Did I just call him "_my_ Sirius"? Wow. I need to take a chill pill.

"How'd it go?" he asked, barely-hidden concern coloring his voice.

"I don't really know yet. She said that we'd 'talk about this later.'"

"Oh, scary."

"Yeah," I agreed.

"We have to scoot. So I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Of course." He scooped me up into a hug once more before vanishing with his friends. Sigh.

Through the sparkling chaos that was the ballroom, I glimpsed Kirk walking to meet me. His touch was gentle as he guided me to the corner of the room. "Mum and Dad give you a hard time? That Sirius kid being good?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes. "Of course, Sirius was a perfect gentleman." I resisted the urge to break into a huge smile. "And I think Mum has it in for me later. Dad convinced her to keep quiet until after everyone leaves."

The lights reflected off his smiling chocolate eyes. "Well, I think that I can convince her to hold off until morning. You look beat."

I attempted to protest, but had to stifle a yawn in the middle of my speech. "Caught you. Come on, just say goodnight to the gang and I'll take you up to bed," he laughed.

"I don't need to be tucked in like a baby," I replied indignantly, but still climbed onto the stage. Butterflies grew in my stomach, even though I had done this a million times. The blinding lights which blocked my view of the many faces calmed me. Preparing my most formal tone, I amplified my voice, took a deep breath, and began. "Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank you for gracing us with your presence tonight, and I regret to inform you that I must depart this wonderful scene. In my absence, please continue enjoying the music and refreshments graciously provided by my parents. Thank you."

I stepped off the platform, and latched my arm onto my brother's. Once out of the formal stiffness of the ballroom, I sagged into him, so tired that I would have slept right in the hallway if I could have. Without asking, Kirk lifted me into his arms and carried me up the stairs to my bedroom as if I was four again. "Thanks," I whispered tiredly, as he deposited me on my bed.

"Anything for my Mini Marls." I smiled at his usage of my old nickname. "G'night."

"G'night." Lazily, I waved my wand, turning out the lights and changing my dress into a nightgown. Within five minutes, I was asleep.

**A/N: So how do y'all like this? I haven't gotten a single review on this story yet. **** It'd be very helpful if you could just take a minute of your time to give me some feedback (constructive criticism, favorite parts, least favorite parts, ideas, anything). I'm kind of stuck on the next chapter so ideas for incidents on the train or at the feast would be much appreciated. **


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